Carrot Puree' Homemade Baby Food

I know this is not a recipe that appeals to many, but what the heck. Elise has to eat too! With the madness going on with contaminated baby food products, I want to expose Elise to as little risk as possible. Therefore, we are making her baby food at home instead of buying the jars at the supermarket. An added bonus is that she does not get the extra sodium from the preservatives. One pack of store-bought baby food carrot puree' contains 80 mg of sodium!

Here is how to do it at home, have a healthier baby, and save money!

Homemade Carrot Puree'

Ingredients:

Fresh carrots, either grown in someone's yard or bought at the grocery produce section (organic preferred).

That's it.

Method:

Wash carrots VERY well. Peel using a vegetable peeler, cut ends off with a sharp knife (keep away from baby). Cut carrots into small-ish pieces and put into a Glad microwave steamer bag. You don't need to add any liquid to it. Steam in the microwave for 3.5 - 5 minutes, allow to sit for a few minutes so you don't burn yourself on the steam. Empty into a bowl and use an immersion mixer to puree' very fine. You can also use a food processor if you have one. Once completely smooth, divide the carrot puree' into an ice cube tray using a regular spoon. Smoosh down so there's no air pockets. Cover with freezer wrap and freeze until solid. Remove from ice cube trays and keep in a sealed freezer bag for up to 3 months. Be sure to label expiration day on the freezer bag.

To serve, simply thaw out ahead of time or cook in the microwave for 30 seconds. Make sure it's not too hot for baby. I mix it with a little bit of formula, but not too much. Each cube is one serving. For less than $2 I can make 16 servings! It saves a lot of money and I know EXACTLY what my infant is eating!


Raw carrots, straight out of Mr. Noonie's garden!


Carrots are washed, peeled, chopped and in the microwave steaming bag!


Getting made into puree' by my immersion mixer - best tool in the kitchen!


In the ice cube tray, ready to be frozen!

Verdict: So easy and Elise seems to love it! Really, it's so worth the VERY small amount of time it takes to do this!